We are grateful to all backers for their support and understanding. This has given us a constant motivation to carry out the hard work of mass production.
During the process of carrying out a test fit of the VS 01, we discovered the problem of defective parts. We then immediately began actively communicating with the production supplier to find the problem and fix it. These cosmetic defects in the parts had no impact on the normal operation of the equipment, but we went ahead knowing that we could do better, even though the process would be tedious and difficult.
As of now, I'm happy to report that the issues have been gradually resolved and the parts are 70% ready, with the remaining 30% all ready by the 5th of August. Mass production is about to start, so backers, you will receive your VS 01 soon!
There are a few parts of the IMPROVEMENT process that we would like to share with you:
1、The surface of the keys and knobs have shrink defects during production. Due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the material, the surface of the keys and knobs will be concave after production.
In order to solve this problem, we did simulation analysis on the software. Due to the inconsistency of the design thickness, the cooling time of the material is not consistent.
Here, take KEY and KNOB as an example: as shown in the picture, the red area of the picture has higher temperature and slower cooling, so it will produce shrinkage during cooling, which will cause Shrink defects:
Also, isn't it interesting that the GIF below is a simulation of the production process of this part? Melted ABS plastic, injected under high pressure into a mould, cooled and turned into our part.
We discussed and studied with industry seniors, improved the moulds, analysed the production materials and optimised the injection process, and after about twenty days, we solved these problems completely.
Here are the improved parts we received on the 24th of July, it may seem like just SLIGHT changes, but we think the improvements are worth it.
2.In addition, we have solved the problem of cosmetic defects caused by material flow: contamination and Weldline.
As you can see, the surface of the improved component, is much flatter.
3. Assembly clearance problem we also in the beginning of the month and the supplier to determine the improvement of countermeasures.
The improvement plan is: re-modify the die-casting mould, but the modification time of die-casting mould is very long, it takes half a month. We only received the notification that the supplier finished modifying the mould on 24th July. So we haven't got the part samples yet. It is expected that we can get the improved samples this week.
These are some of the main issues we tackled this month, and there are a few more that I won't go into here. Although the problems we encountered were all new to us, it was also a learning opportunity. Thank you backers for your trust, this is a process of accumulating experience for us. We will do our best to make sure our backers receive a perfect makagic vs-01!
In July, we went beyond problem solving. We also started the procurement of materials
In order to have a smooth production in August, we purchased 1000 sets of materials according to our BOM sheet and finished the PCBs:
We have completed the preparation of 70% of the materials, and there are still die-cast parts, injection-moulded parts, and machined parts left to come in.
Please don't worry, the rest of the materials will be delivered to our warehouse in early August as well. It is expected to be no later than the 5th of August. By then, we will be able to start mass production!
In order to make the product more stable and reliable, we sent the prototype to a professional and authoritative laboratory for testing.
The test includes more than 20 tests such as salt spray test, EMC test, high and low temperature test, etc. The test was carried out for almost half a month, and we are glad that our products have successfully passed the above harsh tests. The picture is part of the test report.
I'm sure when you guys got it, the quality and performance were in a perfect state.
